Newly formed Special Olympics team seeks members in Bay Area

Published 6:30 am, Thursday, December 26, 2002

Margie Lord has just about everything she needs to start a Special Olympics team, including money to get off the ground and coaches. But she's missing the most important thing: athletes.

Lord, who is from Webster, decided to start the team for developmentally delayed adults in the Bay Area when her son Bobby, 22, who is autistic, graduated from Clear Brook High School and was faced with a lack of resources and programs geared toward his age group.

In addition to her son, Lord has recruited eight other athletes to compete on the team, called Space Center Rockets. But she needs more to compete in a variety of sports and knows there are many more people like Bobby who would thrive through the opportunities provided by Special Olympics.

"I know there are people out there who would be interested, and I know they don't have the opportunity to play sports," Lord said. "I just haven't found them yet."

A Special Olympics team called the Clear Creek Challengers is operated through the Clear Creek Independent School District, Lord said. But no adult Special Olympics teams are in the Bay Area. The closest ones are in Alvin and Pasadena.

"While developmentally delayed kids are in school, there are programs that get them involved with each other and with the community, but there is a surprising lack of resources for them after they graduate," Lord said. "It's difficult for them to find jobs and opportunities for social interaction."

Lord and several other parents of developmentally delayed adults started organizing the team over the summer. They created a board of directors, sought out funding for the nonprofit group and set several goals for the team.

Their first goal -- to compete in the Special Olympics state games in Austin in January -- will be achieved when three athletes go for gold in powerlifting and one in bowling.

The Space Center Rockets' second goal is to take a unified bowling team consisting of two Special Olympics athletes and two members of the local community to the national tournament in Tennessee in February. After that, the group will set about trying to fulfill its third goal of starting teams in tennis, basketball and other sports.

"We don't currently play all sports, but that's because we don't have enough athletes," Lord said.

Adults over 18 years of age are invited to join the Bay Area team. Special Olympics requires that the athletes must have a developmental delay of at least two years. Interested adults don't need any previous sports experience, Lord said.

Special Olympics athletes function at all levels of disability, Lord said, noting that the Space Center Rockets have certified, specially trained coaches in place, many of whom previously coached with the Clear Creek Challengers.

"The kids respond really well to the interaction they get through Special Olympics," Lord said. "They're able to form friendships and do normal things that other people take for granted."

Valerie Cueto, 22, is one of the athletes on the Space Center Rockets. The Clear Lake High School graduate participates in bowling but also has played tennis, softball and basketball.

"Special Olympics is really fun. You get to meet new friends and the coaches are great," Cueto said. "There are a lot of sports that people can play, and some of the athletes are really serious about their sports. But it's always fun."

Raad Hikary, 28, of Seabrook is another member of the Space Center Rockets. The powerlifter continued competing with the Clear Creek Challengers even after graduating from high school.

"It's better to compete on the adult team," he said. "You have to take more responsibility for yourself, and there are more people your own age."

For information, or to join the team, contact Lord at 832-215-6549 or Joan Meyer at 281-333-2476.